1412
by Shiori Hitohana
Summary: Kaitou Kid has sent a note to the FBI. He's branching out; and if they don't find his target, time, and place fast enough, then he'll just work his magic without an audience. Numb3rs and Magic Kaitou/Case Closed crossover.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: 1412 is set around episode 500 of Detective Conan, so there are some spoilers for Detective Conan 's set about season 3, midway, in the Numb3rs time line.I've tried to make things accessible to any Nub3rs fans who haven't watched Conan, and vice versa. **  
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Summary: Kaitou Kid has sent a note to the FBI. He's branching out; and if they don't find his target, time, and place fast enough, then he'll just work his magic without an audience. Numb3rs and Magic Kaitou/Case Closed crossover.

**1412**

_Chapter 1:_

"My sweet maiden,

Too long have you been trapped

within the dark halls of the ancients

As the day turns to night

I will fly to your side

'Til the full moon arrives

And I must see you back to your father

Let the flush of your cheeks

As I kiss you farewell

Be enough for us both

This night

Kaitou Kid"

* * *

Don had been having a good day. He and his team had managed to solve a case, with minimal assistance from Charlie, and now, for a moment, Don could take a break, drink some coffee, and enjoy that the world was as it should be. That was when the assignment came.

It was delivered by a somewhat nervous man, who seemed to understand that Agent Epps would not appreciate being interrupted, but was forced to do so anyway. Don accepted the assignment reluctantly, pulling open the files to begin to understand the investigation.

The top piece of evidence was a note. And it wasn't in English. Squinting at it, Don decided it was Japanese, or Chinese, or something. A translated copy was beneath it. And it made no sense. Some sort of riddle, about coming to take a girl out? Signed…Kaitou Kid? What did this even mean?

As he continued to read, he could feel a headache forming. Great. Just great.

* * *

When the news announced that Kaitou Kid was making a heist in America around Golden Week, Conan blinked. Then, disappearing from the Mouri household momentarily, he headed to a phone booth. Some quick negotiating had his mother calling up Ran and her father, and saying how it'd be good for Conan to visit her on the break, and how she could pay for their airline tickets.

Ran and Mouri jumped at the chance to visit America for free; Conan was pleased. Then, on the day they were to go, Conan's "mother" (the odd part was, she really _was_ his mother, it was just that "Conan" didn't exist), called with apologies, saying she and her husband had caught the flu; Conan could stay with them, but they'd just pay for a hotel room for the Mouri family, so they didn't get sick, of course. Ran volunteered to take care of Conan so the sick woman wouldn't have to, but Conan's mother demurred; he was such a good boy, he wouldn't be any trouble, and she really wanted to see him.

Thus, Conan was very satisfied with his new found freedom for a week. So long as he didn't run into Ran or her father, he could wander America as a kid, look into the Kaitou Kid heist, and not have to worry too much about the Black Organization or the fact that he was sixteen in an eight-year-old's body.

Then, the doorbell rang.

Conan quickly called out "Coming!" and trotted over to the door, irritated by having to reach up to grasp the door knob. He was even more irritated when he saw who was behind the door.

* * *

Don Eppes had provided his brother with some of the data they had about this Kaitou Kid, but Charlie had warned that he couldn't necessarily figure out the riddle; it wasn't a number code. He could, however, try and find similarities in the previous heists that could help them narrow down the possible target.

Megan was looking on getting a profile on this strange character, while David, Don, and the rest were simply trying to get an understanding of the previous cases and interpret the riddle.

It should have been good news, at least to some extent, when Don learned they would be receiving some help from the first of the Japanese team of Kaitou Kid experts. But when he went to the door and saw a blonde haired boy, probably a teenager, around seventeen years old, with what looked to be an eight-year-old boy in tow, he couldn't quite convince himself.

He stepped out to meet them. "You're the help from the Japanese police department?" He couldn't help the skepticism in his voice. Then he wondered if he needed a translator.

The boy smiled (though it was slightly forced), and answered, "Yes. My name is Saguru Hakuba. I've assisted the police on many occasions to attempt to catch Kaitou Kid. Nakamori-keibu thought it best to send me first, as I'm half English."

Don did admit the lack of an accent (well, except the British one) and a translator would be helpful, but glanced pointedly down at the young boy. Who was looking up, not confusedly, but with a bit of irritation. Not typical. Usually, a young boy would be excited to meet an FBI agent, or a police officer. But this one seemed to be weighing Don against something.

Hakuba looked towards the little boy as well. "Ah, right. This is Conan Edogawa. He's able to speak English too. I thought…he could be of use."

Don looked at Hakuba askance. "I've heard more of your…task force will come once the date of the thievery is determined, but we have translators. This isn't really a place for little kids to wander around."

Hakuba nodded. "I know. But Conan isn't… He's Kogoro Mouri's assistant. He's…able to think like Kid does. I thought it would be helpful for your men to hear from a witness who's faced Kid on equal ground."

Don tilted his head skeptically, but got them both visitors' badges. Opening the door of one of the empty interrogation rooms, he ushered the young boy inside, telling him a member of his team would be there shortly. "Okay," he said, turning to Hakuba. "What do you make of this?" He handed the boy the warning letter.

* * *

Conan had had much better plans for Golden Week than being hauled around by Hakuba and pretending to be a little kid. The FBI was unlikely to take him seriously; they had a problem with Hakuba, and at least _he_ was a teenager. There was little chance they'd believe anything Conan had to say. Then again, it wasn't like there was much likelihood of information on him getting back to Japan; he could act like himself, not worrying about appearances; even if they didn't believe him.

So, as the female member of the FBI agent's team entered, Conan glanced over her. Neat hair and nails, pressed clothing, little wariness; probably the psychologist, with the way she was studying him.

"So, Conan—" she started in a cheerful tone, and he quickly cut her off.

"You probably won't believe me, but I'm not as dumb as most little kids; and I'd rather not be patronized. I've worked with the police for a while, and I've been at murders. I don't want to be coddled. I'll tell you all I can about Kaitou Kid, but please, drop the fake friendliness."

She blinked at him twice, then nodded. "Okay," she said seriously, "Tell me what you know."

A faint smile crossed his face. "Huh. You're nothing like Jodie-sensei." He paused for a moment. "And I hope you don't give me a dumb name like _Cool Kid_. Anyway," he said before she could question his comments, "The first time I really met Kaitou Kid was on a cruise, when he impersonated Ran-nee-chan."

"Who's Ron?" Megan asked, scribbling a quick note. "I mean, what kind of build does he have?"

Conan flinched. "Ran-nee-chan's a teenage _girl_. She and her father take care of me."

"Wait…so Kaitou Kid's a girl?"

Conan sighed. "No, but he can impersonate them. He's able to mimic almost any voice he's heard; as far as I can tell, he does it completely naturally, without any special devices. He fooled me for an hour or two, and I _know_ Ran-nee-chan. If you're trying to figure out what types of people he can impersonate, you're better off assuming everyone is him; he's impersonated old ladies, old men, young women, young men…. The only thing he can't do is be a little kid, like me; he's too tall. He likes to infiltrate as a police officer; and he's good at hacking into radios. He likes to use his hang glider to escape, so he often heads up to the rooftops. I've seen him cover himself with doves and disappear. He likes smoke bombs and sleeping gas; he has a card gun. He has a policy of 'No one will get hurt.' He's actively risked himself to save police officers and civilians if they get in the line of fire."

"Wait- line of fire? I thought you said he was non-violent."

"Kid is," Conan said darkly. "But some of the people after him aren't."

"Who's after him?"

Conan pursed his lips slightly, reluctant. "The police have been unable to find any traces of the snipers at the scene, despite multiple eye witness reports that he's been shot."

"No suspects?"

Conan smiled. "A good detective cannot release information like that. It would get…complicated if the suspects learned they were found out before the evidence could be gathered."

Megan looked at him for a long moment; Conan decided his un-childlike demeanor was unnerving her. It didn't matter much, though. "If you're going to catch Kid, you'll need a lot of luck, and you have to think on his level. Even then, he always has an ace up his sleeve." Conan paused for a moment. "One more thing. If you meet Shinichi Kudo…if he shows up, claiming to want to help catch Kid…he's Kid."

"So, Shinichi is your top suspect for being Kid?" Megan stated, surprised to receive a name.

Conan's mouth dropped open, shocked. "NO! Shinichi's not Kid, he's my cousin. Shinichi's a detective, but he's on an undercover case; he's not going to come to the FBI asking to help them catch a common criminal."

"Then why are you warning us that he's Kid?" Megan replied, confused an irritated.

Conan looked frustrated. "Because whoever Kid is, he can pull off Shinichi without a mask or a wig. And since Shinichi's a good detective, he's used it to get himself into a lot of places he shouldn't be able to get into."

She still looked very skeptical, and Conan let out an irritated huff.

* * *

Don turned as Megan called out to him, and he excused himself, leaving Hakuba to continue scribbling notes and analyze the warning letter.

"What's up, Megan? You're done with the kid already?"

"Pretty much. But…it makes me want to tear my hair out."

"What, he's that annoying?"

"Not at all. I'm mad that anyone's let a kid turn into that…I can't even explain."

"Just hold on, start at the beginning. What's gotten under your skin?"

"That kid is horribly scarred. He's like…a mini adult. He says he's 'worked with the police a while and been at murders.' Anyone who lets a child near a corpse-" she cut herself off there, frustrated.

"Okay, so probably not the best childhood. But, he doesn't seem to have turned into a psychotic mess…"

"That is a 'psychotic mess,' as you put it. Little kids are supposed to cry and be emotional. This kid is as guarded as an adult about what he feels. He's gotten to the point where talking about someone being shot has no affect on him; yeah, little kids may talk like that about video games, but he was talking about real-life."

"So what are you suggesting we do?"

"As far as I can tell, there's nothing we can do. That's why I'm angry. Letting a kid near a murder…."

"You're talking about Conan, I presume," Hakuba said as he walked up, notes in hand.

Megan nodded, and opened her mouth; Hakuba cut her off with a raised hand.

"Conan's not an ordinary kid; he could probably skip to high school if he wanted to. I know that's a bit unnerving, but he's good at what he does."

"Which is…" Don prompted.

"He helps Detective Kogoro Mouri. And ever since Conan came to his house, the detective has never failed to solve a murder."

"Do you have any idea how scarring it must be to that kid, seeing corpse after corpse?" Megan demanded angrily.

Hakuba shrugged. "I wasn't there to see the first time he found a corpse. But from the rumors around the police department, people just drop dead around him. If anyone tries to keep him away from the crime scene, he just sneaks in. It's disturbing, but it's not like anyone can actually be spared to keep him away."

Seeing that Hakuba and his psychologist were about to get in a fight, Don felt it would be prudent to intercede. "Hakuba, why don't you come with me; I'm going to see what our consultant has found in the way of a pattern of crime, and you can tell me what you think of the riddle in the meantime."

* * *

A/N: Conan is, in this story, physically 8 years old; when Detective Conan started, I believe Conan was supposed to be 6 years old. By episode 500, two years must have passed (and even saying only two years passed suggests they had a case almost every day those past two years).

As a quick note for those who've only watched Numb3rs: Conan Edogawa is the alias taken on by Shinichi/Jimmy Kudo (I'll be using the Japanese names). Shinichi Kudo was a famous high school detective until he witnessed a shady deal by two men in black. They knocked him on the head and gave him a pill that was supposed to make it seem like he just died mysteriously; however, instead, it shrunk him to the size of a little kid. With the help of his neighbor, the eccentric inventor Agasa, Conan gets a bunch of gadgets to help him track down criminals. He (rather unwillingly) is made to live with his childhood friend and crush, Ran Mouri/Rachel Moore, and her father, a rather bad detective named Kogoro Mouri/Richard Moore. Conan knocks Kogoro unconscious with his wristwatch stun gun almost every episode, and then solves the crime in his voice. Thus, Kogoro gets more fame, more cases, and more chances for Conan to hear clues about the mysterious Black Organization that shrunk him. In about season 5 (unfortunately not the part released by Funimation), Conan meets a girl named Ai Haibara/Vi Graythorn. As it turns out, her true identity is Shiho Miyano, codenamed Sherry, and she used to be a member of the Black Organization; in fact, she invented the pills which shrunk both her and Conan. She becomes his ally (as the Black Org. killed her sister and was going to kill her), and begins to try to develop a cure for the both of them. In season 9, the FBI comes into play, beginning with with Jodie Saintemillion/Starling. Though she works as Ran's English teacher, she is actually an FBI agent, looking for Vermouth, a member of the Black Org. She ends up working alongside Conan and Ai a good deal, though she doesn't truly seem to know their identities.

Magic Kaitou is by the same author as Detective Conan, and Kaitou Kid and Conan interact in Detective Conan. I've actually never read Magic Kaitou, but I've read a good deal about it; so here's my attempt at a summary. Kaitou Kid was originally a man named Toichi Kuroba. This man was a magician by day and a phantom thief by night. However, for some reason, I believe because he refused to join them, they murder him in his civilian identity, when his son was eight years old. Skip about 8 years in the future, and Kaito Kuroba is now 16. He's an ordinary high school student, though he is also a gifted magician, until he finds a secret room in his own house, and realizes his father was Kaitou Kid. He takes up his father's mantle, and eventually learns about the nefarious group who killed his father. They believe that they failed to kill his father (a lucky break for Kaito) and so they begin trying to kill him occasionally. At the same time as he learned the identity of his father's killers, he learned that this nefarious group is trying to become immortal using a gem called Pandora, which glows red under the light of the full moon and will cry tears of immortality (or an eternity of tears) in the light of a certain comet. He makes it his goal to find this gem before them, and begins stealing even more.

As for Numb3rs, it is a story about two brothers; one, Don Eppes, is an FBI agent; the other, Charlie Eppes, is a professor of Applied Mathematics at Cal-sci. Charlie was genius, and graduated at the same time as Don despite Don being the older brother. Charlie graduated Harvard at about 13. In the series, he is around 30, and begins to help his brother out with mathematical applications to crime cases. Though Don is at first reluctant to accept Charlie as a consultant, he eventually relies heavily on Charlie's assistance.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you to all of those who read, reviewed, favorited, and alerted this story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs, Detective Conan, or Magic Kaitou.**  
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**1412**

_Chapter 2:_

Charlie Eppes had been half-way through quantifying the Kaitou Kid case files when a knock sounded on his office door. He looked up as the door opened, noting the slightly familiar office worker and the unfamiliar teen following him.

"Professor Eppes, I know you're busy, but you're supposed to be giving Mr. Kuroba a tour."

Charlie blinked. "A tour?" he repeated dumbly.

"It's been on the list for weeks. Haven't you checked your e-mail?"

Charlie was almost certain that he had been checking his e-mail regularly, but didn't see a reason to argue; if he was supposed to give the poor teen looking for a college a tour, he would. He shrugged. "So, I'll just show him around?"

"Yes, please, professor," the office woman said curtly, turning on her heel and leaving the two alone.

"My name's Charlie Eppes, professor of applied mathematics here at Cal-sci. And you?"

"I'm Kaito Kuroba," the boy replied, with just a hint of an accent. "I'm from Japan, but I thought I might look into American colleges over the break—expand my boundaries, and all that."

Charlie nodded, leading the boy all around the campus, introducing him to other professors, and the like. Finally arriving back at the office, Charlie sat behind his desk and answered the boy's questions, while Kuroba sat on a stool, occasionally twirling, and almost constantly flipping a deck of cards in his hands. They would have continued this had not Don chosen that minute to walk into Charlie's office without even knocking.

"So, what have you got for me, Charlie?" Don asked, as Charlie stood.

"Don, I'm a little busy right now, and I'm not done anyway," Charlie said at the same time, moving as if to shoo Don out of his office. However, by then, the teen behind Don was seen, and Kuroba said cheerfully, "Hey, Hakuba-kun! What're you doing here?"

Don and Charlie paused, both looking at the boy the other had brought with him. "Wait, so who is this?" Don said, looking toward Charlie.

Hakuba had an expression of resignation on his face as he answered. "This would be my classmate, Kaito Kuroba. And what exactly are you doing here, Kuroba-kun?"

Kuroba grinned. "What does it look like? I'm getting a tour of this college. I mean, I kind of got the idea from you, and all- I mean, why shouldn't I go out of the country for college? You went for high school."

Don interrupted, "Wait, Kaito? Like Kaitou Kid?"

Kuroba blinked, then smiled. "Not exactly. Completely different characters. But, yeah, they sound pretty similar, right? So, if that's the first thing you thought of when you heard my name, and you're with Hakuba-kun…you're working on the Kid heist, aren't you?"

Don sputtered, flustered, as Charlie turned to Kuroba. "How'd you know that?"

"Ah, it's all over the news back home that Kid's staging another heist. Of course an avid fan like me would know. So, you mean you guys haven't released that information to the public?"

"No, of course not," Don said, finally regaining his composure. "And what do you mean, a fan? You think its okay to go stealing things?"

Kuroba grinned, and Hakuba sighed, putting his head in his hand. "Of course I don't! But he returns it, and after all, how could a magician not respect one so proficient at his trade?" And with that, Kuroba took the cards he had been flipping, held up three, and invited, "Pick a card, any card."

Don glared. "I'm not playing games here."

Hakuba stepped forward. "Unfortunately, Kuroba-kun is a magician, and Kid's fan. However, there are thousands of Kid fans in Japan, many of them magicians. Kuroba's not…" here he paused. "Well, he probably is purposefully irritating you, but that's how he acts with everyone."

"Ah, Hakuba-kun, I'm wounded."

"Why don't you go back to wherever you're staying, Kuroba-kun. I'm sure Agent Eppes would prefer to speak with his brother in private."

"Wait, you said that Professor Eppes had something for you…does that mean that someone who works in math works in the FBI?" Kuroba said enthusiastically, ignoring Hakuba.

Charlie looked taken aback at the enthusiasm. "Uh, yes, actually. I often help Don out with cases, as a consultant. There are millions, no, trillions of ways to apply mathematics to life, and to crime."

"Cool," Kuroba said with a grin. Then, as Hakuba cleared his throat, Kuroba laughed. "All right, all right, I'll get out of your way, oh high and mighty detective."

Hakuba stood at the door a good minute as Kuroba walked down the hall before he finally shut the door. "Well, you can probably speak freely now."

"Right…so…you're telling me there are lots of fans of Kaitou Kid?" Don said, still apparently stunned by Kuroba.

"There are; typically, he has crowds at his heists, and he has even, on occasion, taken a quick interview. But as I said, many magicians admire him; and someone is innocent until proven guilty, after all."

Don nodded reluctantly, then turned to Charlie. "So what do you have for me?"

Charlie frowned. "As I tried to tell you when you came in, I'm only half-done. They came in with Kuroba before I could finish."

"So you have nothing?" Don said

"I wouldn't call it nothing; I have noticed some interesting trends with the data I have put in so far."

He went over to the laptop, turning the screen to face Hakuba and Don and pulling up a graph.

"These are the jewels he has stolen graphed by size. As you can see, they are all fairly large, consistently. It seems the jewel's price does not matter to him, just its size."

"But the jewel's more likely to be expensive as the size goes up," Don pointed out.

Charlie nodded. "But it's not about the money, because he's given the jewels back."

Don had to concede that point. Charlie pulled up another graph. "This shows the number of days between the jewel's theft and its return. As you can see, the days vary, but it's seldom more than a month, generally in a matter of weeks, and sometime even within a day. Unfortunately, I couldn't figure out a common theme between these…."

"The full moon," Hakuba stated calmly.

Charlie blinked, then brought up a chart from the internet, beginning to compare the days.

"He's right, Don. There's always a full moon between them, either on the heist or between the theft and return."

Don looked at Hakuba, who shrugged. "I don't know why he does it, but I've noticed that pattern of his."

"Any other trends?" Don asked. "Anything that could give us an idea of the jewel, the location?"

Charlie began to shake his head, "Not enough data yet—"

Hakuba cut him off. "It'll most likely be at the Natural History Museum. I haven't narrowed the jewel down, but, that's what the hints in the riddle suggest."

Don wanted to ask how Hakuba had gotten Natural History Museum from taking a girl on a date, but bit his tongue.

* * *

Conan was, quite frankly, bored. Or rather, he was bored, as well as irritated. What were they thinking, going and leaving him alone in the interrogation room for half an hour? And with absolutely nothing to entertain himself with, either. Not that he would have appreciated coloring books or whatever they would give an eight-year-old, but the point remained.

Hopping out of his chair, Conan plodded toward the door, hoping that he could get out of here. If a criminal was in the room, they would probably have locked the door…but Conan was a child, and it would be dangerous in a fire if the door was locked. Luck was on his side; the handle turned.

People had an odd habit of ignoring anything small, and that was true even here in the bull-pen of the FBI office. So long as no one was tripping over him, no one paid him any attention. It wasn't long before he found the office with "Don Eppes" on its nameplate; unfortunately, he couldn't see that man or Hakuba anywhere nearby. However, just off from this small workspace was what seemed to be a meeting room, with a whiteboard, desks, and chairs, as well as two men. Studying the English words on the whiteboard, Conan realized that this must be for the Kaitou Kid heist; why else would the board be covered with the names of jewelry stores, museums, and private collectors?

He entered through the door behind the men, careful not to make any sound with it, and was gratified when it didn't squeak. He then turned toward the desks, which were littered with paper; descriptions of heists, it looked like. He spotted one in Japanese, with the trademark Kid caricature, and snatched it. That was when some of his luck finally ran out.

The black man, the taller of the two men, had chosen that moment to turn around, and, spotting Conan, quickly said, "Hey, kid! You're not supposed to be in here!"

The other man turned as well in response, and quickly began gathering up the "confidential" information to keep it away from the kid's eyes. Conan ignored them both, focusing on the Kid heist note as the black man came towards him.

"What are you doing in here, kid? And you need to give me that, right now," David said authoritatively.

Conan paused in his study of the paper to look up at David, quickly pulling on his "innocent little kid" mask. "_Nani?_"

David hesitated, and muttered a curse under his breath. Not just a little kid, a foreign little kid, who might not even speak his language.

In the meantime, Conan had gone back to investigating the riddle. He had also plodded a few steps away from David, over to the whiteboard, and was examining that as well.

David then reached out a hand, trying to pluck the paper from the kid's fingers; Colby watched, amused, as Conan tightened his grip, forcing David to release the paper or rip it.

"Please, kid, just give me the paper," David said, irritated, but unwilling to force the boy.

"_Wakaranai yo_," Conan replied, putting all the childish whininess he could into the words.

Luckily for David, but unluckily for Conan, it was at this moment that Megan returned to join her team with a tentative profile on the Kid. She blinked upon seeing Conan.

"Conan, what are you doing in here?"

Conan frowned; this woman knew he could speak English, so, unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to continue that charade.

"I was bored," Conan replied, dropping the childish act. Colby and David's jaws dropped as they realized he _did_ speak English.

"You can't wander around—this stuff is classified!" Megan replied.

David cut in. "Wait a minute- you're telling me you speak English? Then what was all that before!"

Conan shrugged. "I wanted to see the heist note."

Megan frowned. "Conan, I know you may have…seen Kaitou Kid in action before, but this is the FBI's case now. You don't have clearance."

Conan looked away, irritated. "And you have no clue where to start. Tell me, do you have any clue which of those possible targets he's after?"

Colby responded, "No. You do?"

Conan nodded confidently. "Yeah. For a heist note, this is ridiculously simple; there aren't even any puns in the kanji. He's striking at the museum."

His audience gave a collective blink. "What? How'd you figure that out?" Megan said.

"It's all in the first few lines—the location, that is. He says the jewel's been 'trapped

within the dark and empty halls of the ancients,' and no one's house would be associated with antiquity; plus, since he says he's striking at dusk, no one's house would really be considered dark at that time; but a museum would be closed, or closing, so it'd be dark and empty."

"You got a time out of that thing too?" David asked, still shocked.

"Again, it's not that hard. He's practically yelling it at you. 'As the day turns to night

I will fly to your side'? I suppose he's trying to give you a learning curve, but really…"

That was when Don finally returned, Hakuba walking beside him. "Alright guys, Hakuba says the note means he's striking at the Natural History Museum, so I want you to start getting things ready; get a team watching the place, find out what security precautions they'll take…" he trailed off, noting his team was staring at him in open mouthed shock.

"What?" he asked, glancing down at himself self-consciously.

Hakuba looked curious as well, until he caught sight of Conan in the center of the room. "Ah, let me guess; you just told them that, right, Conan?"

Conan nodded, his smugness warring with wariness—it was bad enough that Hakuba knew he was a genius, without giving him any clues that might lead Hakuba to the belief that Conan was Shinichi Kudo.

"Wha- how," Megan sputtered for a moment. "He's just a kid—you're just a kid. And yet…"

Hakuba shrugged. "Kid seems to tailor his notes so only people with certain mindsets can understand them." He hesitated a moment. "Of course, we also have a greater familiarity with his style."

"Come on, guys, just think of it like Charlie. Now we've got to get to work," Don prompted.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs, Detective Conan, or Magic Kaitou.**  
**

**1412**

_Chapter 3_

"Thank you all for your help," Charlie stated, somewhat distractedly, as he studied the graphs that their combined data analysis had produced. Amita sat over by the computer, while Larry twisted back and forth on a stool, much as Kaito had done earlier that day.

It took several minutes of studying the graph before Charlie realized Larry was acting agitated. He blinked. "What is it, Larry?"

"Well, I'm just not so sure on this thesis we're starting out with," Larry began reluctantly.

Charlie shared a smile with Amita. "And what is it this time? A black hole in the middle of our thesis?"

Larry gave him a look. "No…it's just the nature of the problem itself."

Amita favored him with a confused glance. "What about it? You know people inevitably fall into patterns—we're just trying to define this thief's particular patterns."

"But that's precisely the problem. We're trying to define someone who by his very nature flaunts definitions at every turn!"

Charlie paused. "But even if he says he has no pattern or purpose, the mind will instinctively fall into something, some habit."

"I'm not saying he has no purpose- just the opposite, Charles. I'm saying…we're making the assumption that he won't have noticed any patterns."

"Well, it's a reasonable assumption. Most people don't notice the patterns- they're too engrained in their everyday life," Amita noted.

"But you're ignoring some of the data. This isn't just a thief who hasn't been caught yet. This is a thief who's been at his craft for over ten years, not counting the period he disappeared in. A thief who warns the police before every heist, and yet still hasn't been outfoxed yet."

"You're saying we're dealing with a genius," Charlie realized.

"Not just a genius, Charles, but a genius who attempts to use patterns and puzzles to lead the police. I'm saying that any pattern that we find, he knows its there. It could be a trap, or it could be misinformation."

"Just like his notes…he wants us to find whatever's in the pattern…" Charlie mused. He pulled the data up, studying several of the graphs at once…and focused on the blank spot in between the data.

* * *

Don sat quietly by his desk, pulling up another file. Conan Edogawa was an enigma, and despite his admonition to his team, he was very discomfited. Especially after he had decided to act on his hunch.

When Conan had first seen Don, he hadn't been impressed. He hadn't thought being in an FBI office, being spoken to by a member of the FBI was interesting or unusual. He hadn't been surprised by anything.

He had met the FBI before.

Don had done a search on Conan Edogawa's name then…and came up with an FBI file. As if the knowledge that his agency had a file on the kid wasn't disturbing enough, it was linked to a mission in Japan. Where the FBI was _not_ supposed to be.

Not only that, but the kid was listed as an informant and consultant.

He was only eight!

Following that, he'd tried to figure out how the kid had gotten involved. He was living with a private detective, but that hardly seemed like something the FBI would get involved in. Checking into his parents had brought even more distressing information.

The parents supposedly were in America. Their passports were fakes.

Close examination showed that Conan's documents, at least on the American side, were all falsified as well.

But they did come with a phone number, which was what he was calling right now.

"Kudo residence!" a cheery voice answered.

"Ah, Ms. Kudo? I'm Agent Eppes, with the FBI. I…was expecting a Ms. Edogawa." Not really, considering she didn't exist…but who was Kudo?

"Ah…" the woman paused, as though reluctant. "She's my distant cousin. She and her husband stay with us very often when they're in America."

"Where would they be now?" Other than the land of imagination, that was.

"You know, I'm not really sure…She usually calls maybe once a month, tells me how things are going."

"And her son?"

"You know Conan-kun? Oh, isn't he just adorable!"

"I'm sure, ma'am." Clearly the woman did not know Conan—how could anyone consider someone that analytical and serious _adorable_?

"But why did you call? I certainly hope nothing has happened to him." And if she wasn't fishing for information now, he'd eat his badge.

"Oh, nothing really, ma'am. I'm not allowed to discuss it with anyone but his parents, actually." Take that, liar.

"Ah. I'll be sure to let her know that you called. What is your number?"

He told her, just to keep up the façade , then hung up,. Besides, it would be somewhat interesting to see how this game would end. He wanted to know who had pushed an eight-year-old into hiding his identity and being an _informant,_ of all things, _for the FBI_.

He leaned back in his chair. He had dealt with geniuses before. Charlie had been going to college at 13; this boy was only a few years younger. The problem was that the boy was involved in the government, in crime. That…just wasn't right. There were times Don still wanted to pull Charlie back from working with the FBI. Conan, and even Hakuba, were still too young for this.

"Don! I wanted to talk to you!"

Speak of the devil. Charlie hurried towards him, and Don sat up straight. "What's up, Charlie? You found something?"

"Yes, I…"

Don cut him off. "Hold up a second, let me get the rest of the team together, okay?"

It took only a few minutes. Don attempted to argue with Hakuba over whether or not Conan could be in the room, but eventually was persuaded that allowing Conan to have access to some of the less sensitive data would prevent the kid from getting into worse trouble.

"So, what do we have, Charlie?" Don started.

"A problem in the thesis," Charlie said, a slight smile on his face.

"What do you mean?" Colby asked. "And…what exactly is our thesis anyway, according to you?"

"The data you gave me stretched back over eighteen years, with an eight year gap, right?"

Don nodded.

"The thesis was that was all one person."

Hakuba raised a brow skeptically. "The inspector was at heists on both sides of the gap. He says they've got the same voice and attitude."

"And that means a lot on someone who can apparently manipulate his voice and appearance at will?" Charlie pointed out.

Hakuba nodded, accepting the point.

"The trends of Kaitou Kid would generally put him as an adrenaline seeker; he doesn't steal for money, just for the thrill. A person like that _could not_ stop for eight years. Not like that."

There was a collective blink as they thought it over. "So, what? A copycat waited eight years to commit a crime?"

"Not exactly. Larry pointed out to me that this thief makes a point of creating riddles— puzzles, patterns. He said any pattern we saw, Kid wanted us to see. I looked at it in that light and I realized it. Kid's not trying to find a jewel—or at least, that's not what he cares about. He's trying to bring attention to the last Kid. How that one disappeared."

Megan spoke up in realization, "And that…would be those snipers, wouldn't it, Conan?"

Don started. "What? Snipers?"

"There have been snipers at Kaitou Kid heists, on occasion," Hakuba acknowledged. "They have left no traces."

"And you said you had suspects on who the snipers were, right, Conan?" Megan pressed, moving towards the small boy.

Conan closed his eyes. "It's…an ongoing investigation."

"Whatever clues you have, I need them," Don stated authoritatively.

Conan smirked ironically. "_Gin_, _Vodka_, _Vermouth_."

"What?" Don said, startled.

Conan shrugged slightly. "I've seen those three."

Frustrated, Don growled, "I'm asking you for the snipers, not alcohol."

Hakuba frowned. "You don't know their real names, do you, Conan-kun?"

Conan nodded. "Gin drives a Porsche," he offered. "But you're not going to find them."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you all for your support, in reading, reviewing, and favoriting this story. Sorry; this chapter is kind of a cliff-hanger, and a little short. You'll just have to wait for next week's chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs, Detective Conan, or Magic Kaitou.**  
**

**1412**

_Chapter 4_

Don sat back at his desk in the nearly empty office hours later, frustrated. No matter how hard they had pressed, Conan had refused to give them any more hints, not even as to why he knew the men.

_"The more you know, the more danger you're in. It's safest for everyone if you act like you have no clue the snipers exist. Maybe they'll get sloppy, and you can find some evidence. But you can't let them know. They'll go after you, and your family."_

_At that point, Conan had cast a rather significant glance at Charlie, who was standing, spellbound, at the blackboard._

_Don hadn't been ready to give up. "There's got to be something you can give us, Conan! Are you going to just let them win?"_

_Conan had looked at him then, and there was no trace of a child in those eyes. "Agent Eppes. They already have taken my entire life from me. I'm not going to give them a chance to hurt your life."_

The phone rang. Don blinked, snapping himself out of his thoughts, then turned in his chair and picked up the phone. "Agent Eppes speaking."

"Ah, this is Jodie Starling."

"Who?" Don frowned—he hadn't heard of anyone by that name before.

"I saw that you were investigating little Conan-kun. He's a cool kid."

He blinked. "Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm not much different from you. I'm an English teacher as well, though. Ran, Conan's guardian, is one of my students."

His frown cleared, then immediately resumed. So this was one of the agents in Japan. One of the ones who had involved an eight-year-old in an investigation. "Why are you calling me?"

"I saw that you were looking into Conan-kun. I was…curious."

"He was brought to us as a witness of some of Kaitou Kid's heists. Why are you interested in him?"

"I just wanted to make sure he wasn't in any trouble. With his history….well, let's just say he's helped me get out of some sticky situations in the past. I'd like to do the same for him."

In other words, she was making sure Don was legitimate. "I can't say that I'm happy to allow an eight-year-old anywhere near these kinds of investigations."

"Ah, a man with a good heart. But despite his age, Conan-kun's not a child."

"So I've heard. But I don't believe it. It'd be better to keep him away from anything…scarring."

A light laugh trilled over the line. "Would that anyone could. Tell me, has anyone else been with Conan-kun?"

"What do you mean? He came to the office with Saguru Hakuba." Don was fairly certain he had fumbled the pronunciation of that name, but oh well.

"So, you haven't seen a little girl? She calls herself Ai Haibara."

Don wasn't sure what part of that was a name, but replied anyway. "No one's been with him as far as I've seen."

"I guess she's just holed herself up…Thank you for your help, Agent Eppes. I've got to go for now."

The woman had hung up before he could reply. He frowned at the phone. The woman was undercover, but would risk a call for Conan's sake. Conan was deeply involved in the investigation.

Before he could ponder anymore, his cellphone rang. He glanced at it; Charlie's office number. Not unusual, despite the late hour. Not even unusual that Charlie had called his cellphone rather than his office phone; at this hour, Don might have been anywhere.

"Charlie, what's up?"

"Don! I think I've got something. Can you come over here?"

"Now? Sure, just a minute. I'll drive over." If Charlie thought he knew something…anything could help with the investigation. A small voice in the back of his head wondered why Charlie didn't want to tell him over the phone—probably was just too complex to explain without diagrams.

One forty-five minute drive later, and Don realized he had been dead wrong. Charlie's office had been unlocked, but no one was inside.

Don turned a small circle, overwhelmed. The chalkboards filling the room weren't that unusual—Charlie could cover ten, easily, in a single day, and he often dragged more in as he needed.

It was what was on the chalkboards that was unusual.

Sure, many of them were covered with mathematical scribbles that he couldn't understand. But they weren't in Charlie's scrawl.

He had almost gone to check that he had entered the right office when he had seen it.

In the front of the room, the chalkboard that Charlie usually started writing on, was a strange series of numbers…as well as a caricature of Kaitou Kid.

For a moment, Don felt a glimmer of fear. He pulled out his phone, calling his home.

"This is the Eppes home, Allen Eppes speaking," came the reply.

"Dad! Is Charlie there?"

"Well, yeah, he just came home, do you need him?"

"Ask him something only Charlie would know. Something private."

"What's this about, Don?"

"Just do it, Dad."

"Alright, Alright. Charlie!" Don could faintly hear his brother calling back to his dad. "Charlie, what was the name of that girl you and Don both wanted to take to prom in high school?"

Charlie's response was unintelligible to Don, but Alan thanked him. "So what was this all about, Don?"

"Did he answer right, Dad?" Don asked.

"Well, yeah. Why wouldn't he have?"

"Because I'm working on a case with a thief known for impersonating people….and Charlie's office is covered with his latest riddle."

* * *

A/N: If you review, I'll send you the riddle early. If not, you'll just have to wait and see next chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs, Detective Conan, or Magic Kaitou.**  
**

**1412**

_Chapter 5_

"(0+π) (13+4+25) (4) (!) (23+!+1+1) ([+0+13+3)

(8+4+16+16+25) (2+!+18+20+8+12+4+25)

(4+18+3) (25+0+21) (18+3+4+12+25) (6+0+18) (25+0+21+18) (16+18+3+5+3+π+20)

Kaitou 1412"

Charlie came over to stand by Don, stepping past the crime tape that now surrounded his office.

"There was no trace of him?" Charlie questioned. The fingerprint dust was still present, and the room had been combed for any tiny piece of evidence.

"Nothing. It's hard to tell, because people come in and out of your office, but nothing seems to be unaccounted for. There's no sign of forced entry or anything. All we have is this code."

Charlie turned and looked at it. "Well, it certainly isn't legitimate math."

Don nodded—a little bit of study had told him that. "I don't like it. He knows we're working together, knows your voice, he can get into your office…and he's parodying your work."

Charlie grinned slightly. "You know what they say…imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."

Don gave him a look, and Charlie sobered. "Can you figure this out for me, Charlie?" Don questioned.

Charlie shrugged. "He used numbers this time…it seems to be some sort of code. I can probably get it. But it'll take a little time."

Don frowned. "The thing I don't get is his signature—Why didn't he change all of his name into numbers, if he was going to do a little of it?"

A chuckle caught the brothers' attention, and they turned to the door, where Hakuba Saguru had now entered. "That would be because he is making a reference."

Don sighed—he was getting tired of people talking over his head. "What are you talking about?"

"Kaitou Kid wasn't always known by that name. It's become his most popular name thanks to a mystery writer—Yuusaku Kudo, as a matter of fact. Yuusaku Kudo may have been a writer, but he also assisted the police in some cases, including a few involving Kaitou Kid. In one of the first, he saw a reporter writing down the numbers 1412, and misread the scrawl as Kid. The name stuck."

"So…if that means Kid…" Charlie had dived into the numbers, leaving his brother behind. But Don had a slightly different concern. "You said…Kudo. Would he happen to be married? And living in America?"

Hakuba tilted his head questioningly as he nodded.

"And…Conan is distantly related to them?"

"Ah, I'm not sure…But I suppose so. He speaks of Shinichi Kudo as the source of his information often enough."

Now Don was really getting irritated. "I thought you said that Kudo's name was Yuusaku or whatever!"

Hakuba smiled. "Shinichi's his son. He's about my age, and was a famous detective in Japan for a while. Now…he seems to have vanished. Mori-san says that he's on a case."

Don absently watched Charlie drift from chalkboard to chalkboard as he digested this information. Everything he learned about Kaitou Kid kept linking him back to the Kudos…and through them, Conan Edogawa. And those snipers….

"I've got it!" Charlie burst out. Then, he promptly laughed.

"What? What's it mean, Charlie?"

"It say's, 'On May 4, I will come. Happy Birthday. Are you ready for your present?'"

"Ah. It was interesting that his previous message was missing a date," Hakuba remarked passively. "How did you break the code?"

Charlie grinned. "I didn't have to."

Don blinked. "Say what?"

"He left the answer all around the room. Look at the boards. Each of them has several equations in them, right? Some of them are just formulas, E=mc2, and all that. But some of them are simple, and some not so simple, one variable equations. Nineteen of them, to be exact. Each of them has one of the letters that make up the message. And the answer to each variable ends up being its symbol in the code. For example, the problem with n as the variable equals π, d=12, etc."

"So these weren't just mocking your work…they were doing your work."

"Exactly. Whoever Kaitou Kid is, he loves his riddles…riddles within riddles." Charlie laughed again.

"If these are riddles within riddles, what does Happy Birthday mean…?" Don mused. His eyes widened. "Wait a second…" He raised his cell phone to his ear. "Hey, Colby. Can you do a search on the FBI database for Conan Edogawa? Yeah, I know he's in there…You've got it? What's his birthday?" There was a pause. "Thanks, Colby. I'll be over there soon." He snapped the cell phone shut, turning to look at his audience. "May 4 is Conan Edogawa's birthday."

* * *

Sorry- another short chapter. But now you know the riddle's meaning! Three more chapters left! Thanks to everyone who reviewed!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs, Detective Conan, or Magic Kaitou.**  
**

**1412**

_Chapter 6_

Conan blinked as he stared up at the agent. When he had opened his parents' front door, this hadn't been what he had expected.

The doorbell had rung; his mother and father were sleeping in, but Conan had been up. He had hurried toward the door before the noise could wake his parents. He hadn't known who it could be, and he had wished that he could see through the peephole—yet another irritating facet of being shrunk. He had pulled the door open slightly, and upon looking up, had been greeted with the sight of Agent Eppes.

"What can I do for you, Agent Eppes?" Conan queried politely. Honestly, after he had been dropped off at his house yesterday, he had expected the agent to do as much as he could to keep him out of the case, not to bring him back into it, never mind how much Conan knew about the snipers.

"We've had a message from Kaitou Kid," the man said unhappily. As Conan opened the door wider, motioning them in, he noticed Hakuba was standing by Agent Eppes.

"Ah? Do you need help understanding its meaning?" Conan questioned. It seemed very odd, he mused as he led the way to the couches and plopped down on one. Hakuba was good at deciphering Kid notes, after all. There was no reason to come to a kid.

"No. We get the meaning well enough." And the agent still didn't seem pleased.

Conan cocked his head quizzically. "Well then, what's the message?"

It was Hakuba who answered. "It was left in a number code, but it translates to 'On May 4, I will come. Happy Birthday. Are you ready for your present?'"

Conan stared at them blankly for a minute. Agent Eppes sighed. "May 4. Today's your birthday, isn't it, Conan?"

The boy's eyes widened, surprised, and then narrowed. He should have known. "You're right—I didn't think about it. But…that's definitely like Kaitou Kid." A smirk was playing on Conan's lips now. So all of this was another game, huh?

Agent Eppes didn't seem to like Conan's new attitude. "And that is why, despite my better judgement, I am going to be placing you with a member of my team at the Museum tonight. At least then, we have a chance of staying near you and foiling whatever plan that insane magician may have."

The bitterness in his voice surprised Conan, and it must have shown on his face, for Hakuba spoke up. "Don't worry about him, Conan. He just had his brother's office used for the note."

Conan nodded in understanding, and some slight sympathy. Having been impersonated by Kaitou Kid before, he knew all too well the frustration of having something you treasured defiled.

It was at that moment that Conan's mother had chosen to emerge, bleary eyed and

dressed in sleeping wear with a robe on top. She was yawning as she entered. "Morning, Shin-chan…"

Conan snapped into action, instinctively putting the little kid act in full force. "Shinichi-nii-san already left, Kudo-san."

She snapped awake immediately, now taking in the sight of the FBI agent and high-school detective in her sitting room. "Oh, so he did, Conan-kun. My apologies—you just look so much like he did when he was little. Who are our guests?" Her sugary sweet voice was almost as clearly false as Conan's had been, and Conan couldn't help but wince.

"I'm Agent Don Eppes of the FBI, and this is Saguru Hakuba, a detective," the agent introduced stonily. "I believe we've already spoken once, on the phone, correct, Ms. Kudo?"

"Oh, yes! You were that agent who called! Conan explained where he'd been when he came home last night. I hope he's been able to help you so far."

Eppes nodded reluctantly. "We were hoping to borrow him tonight. Do you know where his parents are, so that they can give their permission?"

Conan couldn't prevent the scowl at that. Going from being a seventeen-year-old, with all the freedom included in that, to being an eight-year-old, who anyone could control, was just too frustrating at times.

"Ah, I'm afraid not; they had something important to do, so Conan's staying with us for Golden Week. But I'll give my permission, as one of his guardians."

Agent Eppes seemed ready to protest, but Conan spoke up, "It's okay, Agent Eppes. Kudo-san really is my guardian while I'm in America. Otou-san and Okaa-san are a little busy with work."

The agent frowned at him, and Conan knew it had been a mistake to use that patented "innocent little kid voice." However, the man nodded slowly.

"So, why do you need Conan?" Mrs. Kudo spoke up from where she stood, halfway in the kitchen, by the coffee machine.

"Kaitou Kid has declared this case to be a 'birthday present' of sorts for Edogawa-kun, Kudo-san," Hakuba replied passively.

"Is that so?" Conan's mother replied thoughtfully. "Well, it's nice to see you're carrying on the family tradition, Conan-kun…hopefully your uncle doesn't wake up, or he's going to be jealous!" She poured herself a cup of coffee, sipped it, and mused thoughtfully, "I can't help but wonder though, if Kaitou's really challenging you, or Shin-chan." She looked pointedly at Conan, and he knew what she meant—he was certain Kaitou Kid knew his secret.

Eppes frowned. "The note said your…nephew's birthday, ma'am."

She nodded quickly—a bit too quickly, Conan noticed, and hoped the agent and Hakuba missed it. "Oh, I know. It's just that Conan's so like his cousin—they even have the same birthday."

Eppes' and Hakuba's eyes widened at the realization, and Conan nearly cursed (a very un-childlike action), but in the nick of time, the phone rang.

The phone was right next to Yukiko Kudo, but with a quick glance at the caller ID, she said, "Conan-kun, it's for you."

"Ah?" Conan said, scampering over and lifting the phone. "Moshi-moshi?...Ran-nee-chan. Hai! Genki desu…"

"It may be a while till he's done, Agent Eppes, Hakuba-san. Will you be needing him all day? It is his birthday after all, and I thought maybe my husband and I could celebrate with him," Yukiko spoke up, interrupting any eavesdropping that Hakuba or the agent might attempt.

"No, it's fine. We'll come back for him in the evening, around six o' clock, alright?" Agent Eppes said, moving to stand.

"That will be fine. I hope you catch your thief," she stated, bowing to them politely as they left.

* * *

Don walked with Hakuba to the car in silence as he thought. As he started up the car engine, he finally spoke.

"Hakuba…do you know what was going on in there?" It was a vague question, but Don couldn't think of a better one.

"Oh? You mean Conan, or Kudo-san?"

"Both, I guess."

Hakuba shrugged. "Conan is very…odd. He doesn't like to stand in the limelight. Or rather… he doesn't seem to feel safe there. He goes out of his way to act as if he's less intelligent in front of certain audiences. I can only assume that he feels safe here with the FBI, as he hasn't put up the false front he usually would."

Don frowned. "So if he usually won't act intelligent, how did you know? He'll let his guard down around you?"

"Sometimes," Hakuba twitched slightly. "But most of the time, all Conan will offer are hints. Detective Mouri often is strung along on Conan's trail of breadcrumbs…and he doesn't even realize it."

"And Ms. Kudo? What about her? What was with the false attitude?"

Hakuba turned toward him. "That was the first time I've ever met Kudo-san. But from how she and Conan interacted…I suppose she gave us a clue that we weren't supposed to hear."

The ride stretched on in silence as Don pondered just what secret a Japanese woman might have to hide from the FBI.

"I think that I'm going to pay a visit to Detective Mouri," Don stated decisively.

* * *

Ran Mouri didn't speak English as fluently as the others he had spoken to, Don considered absently. Hakuba had no accent; Conan had a large vocabulary in English, especially considering his age, and though his accent was always present, it had yet to hamper Don from understanding him. Ran, on the other hand, had to pause to translate her thoughts frequently, and Don almost kicked himself for not realizing just how good Conan was at speaking English.

"So, ma'am," Don said, being careful to speak slowly and clearly. "I was wondering if you could tell me about Shinichi Kudo." He would be asking her and her father...but her father was out.

"Ano…Well…we have known eachother since we were childs…children. He has always wanted to be a detective, like Sherlock Holmes." She paused again. "He is a great detective; he always can figure out the truth."

"Do you know where he is?" Don asked. She shook her head. "He didn't even give you an address to send any letters to him?"

She shook her head again. "He told me to leave anything with Agasa-hakase—ano, that's his neighbor— and he would…collect the letters when he could. He calls sometimes, though!"

"I heard today's his birthday. You aren't worried at all about seeing him?"

Her eyes turned distant. "Shinichi has never remembered his birthday. And considering what happened last year…I cannot really blame him."

"Last year?"

"Oh! Ano…he was targeted. By, ah, Moriya Teiji. Shinichi had to help me disarm the bomb on the phone."

Don had trouble controlling his reaction to that. He didn't like the idea of anyone targeting a kid—regardless of if that kid might be Kaitou Kid. "And how long has he been off the radar?"

She looked at him blankly, and he realized the figure of speech had gone over her head. "I mean, how long has it been since you've known where he is?"

"Ah, a little over a year now. But sometimes he shows up, out of the blue. Like that last time…." Her eyes had turned hard, clearly angry, and Don resisted the strange urge to back up.

"What happened last time?"

"He just showed up, soaking wet, at my door—and the minute I turned my back on him, to go get him something dry to wear, he just leaves again! Baka." She fumed silently for a minute.

"Ma'am," he said hesitantly. Clearly she was very close to Shinichi—he had no idea how this idea would go over. "I was wondering, what you think the chances are of Shinichi Kudo being Kaitou Kid. I've heard he can play the part without a mask."

Ran frowned, then laughed. "No, there is no way that is possible. Shinichi's a good detective—he almost caught Kid once, and he was in a helicopter with Megure-keibu the whole time. There's no way he could be Kid. Kid's just… a really talented impersonator."

Don faltered. That was evidence that would be difficult to refute- an alibi verified by police, when the boy was trapped in a helicopter. The chances of him being Kaitou Kid had just dropped dramatically—though he had no clue what else might be the secret that the Kudo family was hiding.

The phone rang suddenly, and Ran looked puzzled as she stood and moved to answer it. "Hello? …Shinichi!"

Don paused. Shinichi was on the phone? He rose as well; the girl had started talking, rather quickly and angrily, in Japanese, and though he couldn't understand her, he thought he might have a chance of understanding this case if he managed to speak with Shinichi. Apparently his hovering was obvious enough for her to notice, for she asked some question of Shinichi, and then handed the phone off to him. "Shinichi said he would talk with you."

"Ah, Agent-san?" Shinichi's voice wasn't that different from that of Kaitou Kuroba; Don wasn't a master at picking out voices, but he did note that.

"Yes. I'm Agent Don Eppes, FBI. And you're Shinichi Kudo, right?"

"Yes. Why are you talking to Ran?" If he wasn't imagining it, the tone was protective—he probably meant interrogate rather than talk.

"I was trying to find out a little bit more about you. I heard that sometimes Kaitou Kid would impersonate you, and I thought it might be a good idea to find out where you were."

"Reasonable enough." The boy's tone had softened now, a little less belligerent. "I can't fault you for doubting me. But I'm not Kaitou Kid."

"Where are you, though?" Agent Eppes asked. "You're just a kid, and you're off the radar for over a year?" That raised all sorts of protective instincts—he could be kidnapped, be a runaway…all sorts of trouble.

"Ah, I'm afraid I can't tell you that. Phones aren't all that secure. I just wanted Ran to know that I was alright on my birthday, even if I couldn't be with her." Don frowned—was it just him, or was there a bit of self-loathing in that statement?

"You know Kaitou Kid put your birthday in the note. You don't think he's looking for you, do you?"

Shinichi laughed. "Agent-san. Kid's probably the only person who can figure out where I am, whatever I may desire. And that's alright. I'm afraid I have to go. Goodbye."

Don wanted to protest, but all he could hear was the dialtone. He hung the phone up slowly. "Well, thank you for your time, ma'am," he said, moving to leave.

She bowed politely as she held the hotel door open for him. "No, thank you…and, if you ever see Shinichi…tell him 'Hello,' for me, please?"

He looked at her face, her eyes sad even as a smile lingered on her lips, and nodded solemnly. "I will."

* * *

A/N: Two more chapters- next chapter is the heist! Next chapter will also be the longest, at 9 pages, because I couldn't bring myself to cut up the heist.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs, Detective Conan, or Magic Kaitou.**  
**

**1412**

_Chapter 7_

Megan Reeves frowned as she negotiated LA traffic to reach the Kudo's home. Though Don had made some good arguments for why she was going to pick up and watch Conan, she was still irked, and felt like grumbling that this was because she was a woman. She was fairly certain Don wasn't being sexist—his points were good ones: she was the psychologist, she could read Conan's…relatives better than him, to figure out was going on there; she could watch out for Conan and protect him at the scene, as he seemed to have been most comfortable, or at least the most honest, around her and Don.

None of that changed her sour mood, though she tried to hide it as she finally made it to her destination and rang the doorbell. A cheery-faced woman opened the door. "Ah, are you one of the FBI agents?"

"Yes, I am; I'm Agent Megan Reeves, ma'am," she replied, flashing her badge as proof; she noted quietly that the woman had shown no sign of getting out of the way until the badge was out.

"My name is Yukiko Kudo; Conan-kun is ready to go. Don't worry—he can stay up as late as he needs to, he'll make up the sleep later."

Megan nodded as she was lead into the sitting room, where Conan was sitting with a middle-aged gentleman, presumably Yuusaku Kudo, and that the two of them were looking at…a map of the museum, from what looked to be the museum's brochure. She wanted to shake her head. Even without FBI support, Conan had been trying to figure out everything he could about the heist tonight.

"So, are you ready to go, Conan?" she asked.

He glanced up from the map and nodded, sliding off the couch and grabbing a backpack that had been sitting beside him. Yuusaku Kudo stood as well, efficiently folding up the map before handing it to Conan, and then offering Megan a hand to shake. "I'm Yuusaku Kudo…if I heard correctly, you're Agent Reeves?"

She nodded, surprised that he had been paying enough attention to hear her name earlier; he had seemed deep in thought over the map. "Yes, sir. We'll take good care of your…nephew."

Yuusaku smiled. "I'm sure you will."

Yukiko bent down to Conan and pulled him into a hug before he could protest. "Be careful, alright, Conan-kun? I know that Kaitou Kid won't hurt you, but…"

Conan grinned ruefully at her as he pulled away. "I'll be fine."

She nodded, and seemed to rally herself as she showed Megan and Conan to the door. "Do your best to catch that thief, Conan-kun!"

The door closed behind them, and Megan watched Conan for any signs of discomfort. He seemed to trust her; at least Don had been right about that part. "So, have a good birthday, Conan?"

He glanced up at her and smiled slowly. "Yes. I suppose I should thank Kid for that as well."

She blinked at him before starting up the car. "I would have thought that a heist on your birthday would be…annoying."

Conan shrugged. "Kid calls our duels 'games.' Cat and mouse, detective and thief…critic and artist."

"And you? What do you consider this, Conan?"

"A puzzle. A much better one than most, considering Kid's 'No one gets hurt' policy. I seem to have the most abysmal luck; at least this way, my birthday shouldn't have any incidents…not like last year."

"Don told me there was some sort of threat on your guardian, Ran, last year, right?" Megan asked. She was prying, and he might clam up…but she wanted to know exactly what had happened.

He nodded. "Ran was…going to go on a date with Shinichi-nii-san. There was a bomb that hurt a lot of the building, blocking exits and entrances…and then there was a bomb in the room Ran was at. Shinichi told me that it was set to blow three minutes after my birthday, his birthday. I was in the building too. It was…hard."

Megan let the silence stretch. Last year, a building was bombed on his birthday. He'd been at murder scenes for long enough that deaths were…commonplace to him. The way he talked about it was similar to a veteran FBI agent; a low, burning anger, a sense of justice violated…and he felt that Kid was helping protect his birthday by having a heist on it, so no murders would occur. The last bit was a little superstitious, but then, he was just a kid.

"Don told me I'm to stick with you during the heist, but that you could choose our location. Where do you want to be?" she queried finally.

He frowned thoughtfully. "The roof. If he doesn't arrive there, he's likely to leave from there."

She nodded.

* * *

7:40. Sunset. A figure in white neatly snuck into the shadows. First things first.

* * *

"When do you think he's going to come, Conan?" Megan asked quietly. She and Conan stood alone in the shadows pooled on the building's rooftop.

"7:40. He's already here, somewhere."

Megan checked her watch; 7:45. If Conan was right about the time—and she wasn't sure where he'd gotten that number from— then he must have been wrong about how Kaitou was entering, because he sure wasn't here; she and Conan were alone in guarding the roof, as Kaitou often lost himself in crowds. The cops were grouped in twos and threes, with code words; it was the best they'd been able to manage.

"Ah, I see you got my note, Tantei-kun!" A cheerful voice broke the silence of the night, and she spun around; Kaitou Kid was perched on the edge of the handrail. She brought her gun up in one hand, but he was faster; a gun was in his hand, and for a moment she asked herself what had happened to his "No one gets hurt" policy; the next, a card hit her hand with great force, and the shock made her let go of her gun.

His angle was good; the gun flew in the air, landing a few feet away from her; she'd either have to abandon the door of the building, or the gun.

Kaitou grinned at her. "You know, 'No one gets hurt' is supposed to apply to me, too."

Conan was smirking darkly beside her, his hand reaching towards…his belt? Megan frowned, but had barely a second to think about it before the belt buckle, which she had thought to be a decorative soccer ball, suddenly started expanding, creating a _real_ soccer ball, which Conan kicked at Kid's head with a force that surprised her— the ball was flying _fast_—but Kid didn't seem surprised; he leaned backwards until he was hanging like a bat from the handrail, and then, with a cheeky grin, righted himself.

"What about your watch, Tantei-kun? I rather expected you to try and hit me while I was dodging."

Conan let out a very un-childlike snort. "Please. I know you know its range."

Kaitou grinned. "Yes, I suppose I do…as long as I stay over here, you can't reach, can you? And I'm sure you know that you're not fast enough to get over here without me jumping…Pity you're so short, right, Tantei-kun? We could have had a much more…fair game."

Megan flinched at the seeming suicide threat, but Conan waved a hand negligently. "He's got a hang-glider. The winds are good tonight. And I can't do anything about my height for now. So what are you going to do? Jump, and choose another entrance? Or are you going to try and get in here?"

"Hmmm…" Kaitou tapped a finger to his chin thoughtfully. "If I jump, you're going to follow me, aren't you? I recognize that backpack—though I still don't know how you got a paraglider. But then again, it is your birthday…"

Megan surreptitiously reached for the radio to contact her team…but all she heard was static.

Kid grinned, sticking a hand in a pocket and removing a small device. "Hakuba Labs radio. My signal's stronger than yours. Tantei-san does have some good tricks."

"Kid, turn yourself in; you're not getting in this time. The building's full of cops."

Kid laughed. "That's the fun of it, isn't it?" His hand moved slightly, and Conan shouted, "Close your eyes!"

It was too late though; the flash grenade was blinding her, and all she could do was hear.

"Birthday boy or not, you're up a little late."

A sickly sweet smell; Megan tried to hold her breath, but her eyes were already growing heavy, and as she began to collapse, she felt strong arms catch her before she faded into darkness.

* * *

7:50. One down, two to go.

* * *

Hakuba prowled the west side of the Natural History Museum's collection of gems and minerals, Colby and David within shouting distance.

"Tell me again why you're certain he's here, Hakuba?" Colby requested.

"The note said when day turns to night. Sunset started at 7:40. It'll be night at about 8:07. He's already here."

A cackling laugh. "Ah, Tantei-san. You know me so well…I'm sorry to have been a little less punctual then you might prefer—Tantei-kun had just a few questions to ask me."

"You've already seen Conan," Hakuba said. It wasn't a question.

"Why of course! It _is_ his birthday after all." By now, David and Colby were closing in on the voice; it seemed to be coming from the corner, a full length display preventing them from seeing Kaitou Kid. Hakuba stood still, talking to draw the Kid's attention.

"And what exactly is his birthday present, if I may ask?"

Kaitou sighed. "You know, he's so difficult to buy for…I'll know it when I see it, though."

"Don, can you read me?" David whispered into the radio. There was no reply.

Colby motioned David to the right as he went left; something white was leaning against the wall, in the shadows.

David and Colby exchanged glances, now that they were in position; Hakuba was still speaking, but they didn't pay much mind to what he was saying. David raised three fingers.

3

2

1

"FBI! PUT YOUR HANDS UP!"

They burst around the last of the displays they had been hiding behind, surrounding the figure in white.

"Ah, man," Colby said. A full size Kaitou Kid dummy leaned against the wall, staring at them; he was holding a speaker.

David was looking at the ground. The speaker was connected to a cord, which led along the wall and back over to…

Kaitou Kid grinned at the two of them.

"Goodnight, Agent-san!"

A face-full of pink smoke sent the two of them coughing, then snoozing. Hakuba had already run over, a handkerchief over his mouth and nose.

"Sorry, Tantei-san! I'm on a rather tight schedule!"

Hakuba had no more time to think before he took another step forward and found himself hoisted up in a net that was secured to the high ceiling.

Kaitou stared up at him for a second. "Well, what do you know. It worked just like it does in the movies. See you, Tantei-kun."

Hakuba growled after him, but gave up and tried to figure out a way out of his prison.

* * *

7:58. It was time.

* * *

Don glanced around the darkened room as he patrolled the east side of the Natural History Museum's collection of gems and minerals. It was quiet here…no one had reported anything over the radio since 7:45, so no one had seen Kaitou Kid yet. The check in time was 8:00. He glanced at his watch. 8:01. Why wasn't anyone saying anything?

Something caught at his foot, and Don started, overbalancing and finding that he was about to meet the floor. He barely had time to let out a quick gasp of pain from the impact when he felt weight on his back; someone was sitting on him, hands grabbing his own arms and twisting them back behind him efficiently, and a deep voice was talking; Colby? It took Don a moment to process the words. He was under arrest?

He twisted his head back, his mouth already forming protests; what was Colby doing, Don was clearly himself, he was an FBI agent, but they fell dead on his lips as he spotted the grinning visage.

"Kaitou Kid!" he growled.

The thief smiled. "Sorry. It looks like I win this round of 'cops and robbers.'"

Don twisted further as the thief stood, trying to get a better view of the thief's face. Not old, but the shadows were making it hard to make out any distinguishing facial features…but his eyes looked blue. The white garbed man strode from exhibit to exhibit, opening security systems with ease and not a few gadgets that Don had never seen before.

Locked in handcuffs—real ones too, Don realized—Don had no way to fight physically. But he could still talk. If he was loud enough, someone might even hear him and come.

"What are you doing this for, Kaitou Kid?"

The thief gave him a tolerant glance. "It's not my job to give you the answers."

Don frowned back. "Then how about I tell you why you're doing this? You want us to know about the previous Kaitou Kid, don't you? How he was…murdered. It'd be a lot easier to find out if you'd turn yourself in…especially if you're a witness."

Kaitou Kid hesitated for a split second before continuing, but it was enough for Don. Charlie had been right. It wasn't about the gems, and it wasn't the same Kaitou Kid.

"You seem very confident, Agent-san. But it's not true. Not really. I'm not that simple."

"So, it's one of the reasons." It was a statement, not a question; Don might not be a psychologist, but he could read people pretty well.

"Perhaps," the thief demurred politely, and Don couldn't help but wonder. No violence, not even any damage to the museum as he looked at each of the jewels…and oddly enough, he didn't even seem to be stealing anything. Each time, he reached in, plucked the jewel between white-gloved fingers, and turned toward the window, holding it up to the light almost questioningly. Don couldn't understand why; it was just the fading sunlight.

All of the jewel cases had been opened now—and closed again, locked efficiently, Don was surprised to see. Furthermore, he noted that no one had come, though his voice should have drawn at least some attention.

"Wondering where your team is, Agent-san?"

"Yes, actually," Don stated. It had been a rhetorical question; the thief wasn't an idiot, and had to have figured out that someone should have been here by now.

"Sorry; you're the last one. I had to take Tantei-kun out first; he's the only one who can beat me. Tantei-san can make this a draw…and so you were last, as you're the rookie."

Don took a moment to be affronted, then he noted something odd. Kaitou Kid was from Japan—this…kid? Man? He didn't sound or look that old, but he was a master of disguise. But there was almost no accent; only a slight blurring of certain letters, a slight lilt. There was no question; this thief was a genius; both in crime, and in language, and probably more than that.

"Kaitou Kid…if you really aren't trying to get rich from the heists…then what's the point of not getting caught? What's your goal?"

Kaitou Kid had stopped looking at the jewels; now he sat on top of one of the displays, conversing with Don (who was still trapped in handcuffs and lying helplessly on the floor) as if this was the most natural thing in the world. Don was hoping if he kept him here long enough, then someone would come and manage to catch Kaitou Kid. He couldn't really have taken them all out, not silently.

"I once told Tantei-san that it was his job to provide the answers." Kaitou Kid for once looked serious, despite his relaxed pose. "But you're not a detective. Your job isn't to find answers. Your job…is to bring justice."

The seriousness disappeared in an instant as Kaitou Kid bounced to his feet. "Well, I'm afraid nothing here really fits Tantei-kun for a birthday gift after all, so I'll just go with what I left him already. I put it on the roof; if you could pick it up for him, he'd be most grateful. But you might want to be careful- it's a little dangerous."

There was a slight movement of Kaitou's hand, and then Don was coughing; smoke bomb; no scent, so probably no drugs.

A minute later, once the smoke had cleared, he heard footsteps, and Saguru Hakuba came into view.

"I suppose Kaitou already left? It is 8:10 after all."

Don nodded, and Hakuba bent down to examine the cuffs. Don heard a muffled laugh, and turned his head to glare. "What's so funny? And where were you?"

Hakuba made a small noise of irritation. "_I_ was hanging from the ceiling in a net; luckily I had a pocket knife on me. But I was laughing, because if I'm not mistaken, he swiped these handcuffs from the police back in Japan; probably from some of his own pursuers. Luckily, of course, this means that I actually have the key…which he probably realized."

Don rubbed his wrists as he stood up, free at last from the handcuffs. Hakuba was looking thoughtful. "He didn't gas you or me…he wanted us free. But why? What did he tell you?"

Don paused. "He said…" he thought back through the conversation; was there any reason that Kaitou Kid had chosen not to knock him out? Had conversing with him been the thief's plan all along?

"He said that my job was to bring justice. And that he had left Conan's birthday present on the roof." Don took off at a run midsentence, Hakuba following without hesitation. Don didn't stop upon seeing Colby and David snoozing on the floor; he kept running until he hit the roof.

He opened the door to the roof slowly, and warned Hakuba in a murmur that Kaitou had said the gift was dangerous. The detective raised an eyebrow, but nodded back.

Nothing was in sight, Don mused upon his first glance. There, in the shadows; Megan and Conan had been propped up against the wall, asleep.

And there…opposite them, bound with metal handcuffs (with a Kaitou Kid caricature attached on a card with a small red bow), and also asleep, was a man dressed in black. Beside him, but just out of reach, was a sniper rifle.

Hakuba was open-mouthed, as was Don. Kaitou Kid's gift to Conan was a _sniper_? And what did that have to do with Conan anyway?

A low noise came from the shadows; Don motioned Hakuba over to where Megan and Conan were waking up.

"Agent Reeves, Conan-kun, if you're able, you should come over here," Hakuba said quietly.

Conan was the first to come to his feet. He stared, open-mouthed, at the man in front of him.

"Do you know him, Conan?" Don asked. He kept his voice quiet, but the question was urgent.

"No; but he's probably a sniper. And if you aren't careful, he'll probably commit suicide, somehow; that's what Jodie-sensei said that Calvados did when they managed to trap him."

Don nodded, calling on the radio for backup, and doing a quick but thorough search of the man for more weapons; he found a small knife, but no more guns.

He sat back with a sigh as some police officers took their unconscious sniper. It was only 8:30…but it had already been a long night.

* * *

A/N: So there's the heist! I hope it lives up to everyone's expectations. All that's left is the conclusion now... I'm a little sad that this story will be all posted. I need to try and write something else...


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs, Detective Conan, or Magic Kaitou.**  
**

**1412**

_Chapter 8:_

Don leaned back in his chair, rubbing his eyes. It'd been hours since they'd lost the thief; despite attempts to canvas the blocks around the museum, they'd found no trace of Kaitou Kid. They'd managed to smooth the ruffled feathers of the museum's director- to Don's slight and silent amusement, the man appeared as irritated that Kaitou Kid had turned down all that was in their museum as he was that the FBI had failed to catch the thief.

Megan had managed to get him a tentative report on Conan and his relatives; she noticed a definite paranoia in the two (despite the cheery attitude, the wife was definitely astute, and wouldn't allow just anyone near Conan), as well as in Conan himself. Strangely enough, Conan seemed to actually trust the thief.

"Tired?"

The voice was young, but the tone was knowing; Don was glaring at the boy before he thought about it; before he could make any reparations, though, Conan had laughed.

"Stupid question, huh?"

Don nodded warily. The kid didn't seem upset or afraid of the FBI agent's wrath. Though everything had gone topsy-turvy tonight…

"I thought you would've gone home already," Don said cautiously, glancing at a clock. 10:30.

Conan shrugged. "I had to give my statement. And I wanted to talk to you."

Don straightened slightly. "You have some information on your…gift?"

Conan made a noncommittal noise. "It was more…a method of proceeding. I didn't want you to get involved in this mess, but Kid's already made that a moot point; so the least I can do is make sure you can survive the storm."

Don frowned slightly. The way Conan talked, he truly believed these…snipers…would kill even an FBI agent.

"The Organization's ruthless. Potential threats are done away with; known threats, as well as anyone they are known to associate with, are also eliminated. People have accidents; unexplained murders, or just a murder that can be found out, where the criminal claims he was blackmailed, and his family's gonna be killed. But you've got a better chance than most. You're in America; they're not as strong here, not yet, anyway. They have some agents, but they can't do anything as conspicuous as back in Japan. You need to watch out, though. You don't have a girlfriend—but your father and brother are known connections to you. Keep this as far away from you as you can. I've already called Jodie-sensei; a member of her team in America should 'coincidentally' realize that this sniper is related to their case, and come by to check it out. Let them take him. Act like you don't know anything more about it. And don't go any deeper."

Don stared at Conan for a moment. This child who was not a child….It grated against every sense of justice in Don to just let go of this case. But if there was already a team investigating, he wouldn't want to get in their way. No matter how much he wanted to thrash whoever it was who had made an eight-year-old a consultant.

"Conan," Don started, "What happened to you?" He didn't have to elaborate. Somehow, a child knew all this. Something had to have happened.

Conan smiled up at him mirthlessly. "I died."

Don flinched, then glared. "You're not dead."

Conan shrugged. "That's a matter of perspective. Who I really am…he died two years ago." He grinned weakly. "Jodie-sensei told me you saw my files. You know as well as she does that they aren't legitimate."

Don nodded. "But…why? Your parents?" It was the only explanation he could think of; why would anyone want to kill a kid, anyway? It must have been something the parents had done, been involved with.

Conan shook his head. "No. My parents are fine. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." He stood, bowing his head politely. "It was good to work with you, Agent Eppes. I hope that you will be successful."

Don nodded back. "And you."

Conan nodded, face serious. "Even if it takes me the rest of my life."

* * *

A/N: And that's the end. I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed and favorited this story. I hope that you enjoyed it!


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